I thought this would be more whimsical than it truly is. It’s definitely more scientific than the description lead on, but then again most plants only need water, Sun and time to grow and when applied to a self care mindset… there wouldn’t be a lot more to expound upon. While I’m thankful to read this. It definitely lacked a little bit. I appreciate it from a scientific sense.

Lessons from Plants was a fun little read that can be read in less than two hours, or divided up for a daily dose of nature. This book explores how we might improve human society by better appreciating not just what plants give us but also how they achieve their own purposes. What would it mean to learn from these organisms, to become more aware of our environments and to adapt to our own worlds by calling on perception and awareness? This makes me want to keep a journal of my own life in plants, honestly! If you are looking for a lovely little nature memoir, you should try Lessons from Plants by Beronda L. Montgomery.

It's a very interesting book that made me see plants in a new way. I'm kind of surprised at that: I've never been a huge fan of biology, but since I became interested in and started studying witchcraft and paganism, I've grown an interest in the topic, which is most of the reason why I requested this book, and it was a nice surprise.

This is a short easy read that would probably be enjoyable if you don't know anything about plants already. Though for me it felt quite simplistic after reading The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleberg. This didn't reveal anything new about plants to me. Also the life lessons seemed quite basic and common sense rather than a reflective look at our lives and society which is what I expected. So I didn't end up finishing this book.

I deeply enjoyed Lessons from Plants. This well researched book explores how plants behave and adapt and how this offers humans valuable insights for thriving. Plants play an important role in our world producing oxygen and they provide joy to humans and are used in ceremonies in most cultures, but there is so much more to them. Plants are masters of adaptation and they use these varied skills to thrive. Montgomery takes the reader into detailed, rich information on the adaptive skills that plants possess with the underlying question, what would it mean for humans to become more aware of our environments and be more adaptable? By using perception and awareness like the plants do, how could we reframe how we live to improve our lives.
I loved how this book is very cerebral but also very readable and I believe 100% that we can learn a lot from the plants!

The way I received this book made it very hard to read. There was Harvard logos on every page and the setup just wasn't right. I could not figure out if it was me or the book/kindle but it was hard to focus on the content with such a setup.

This book would make a beautiful documentary. The recounting of plant behavior is interesting, and the author does a good job of relating it to human behavior. The insights make it a good business book. It's well-researched from an academic standpoint, but written in a style that's accessible to lay people.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

First, I must address my adoration for this cover. Love the color, design, the little leaf prints. Would look good on any shelf.

Now to my review. Overall, I enjoyed this book. I struggle with books written by scientists, as more often than not I find their writing to be too close to a textbook in tone and glaze over. This is not one of those books. Dr. Montgomery's writing is extremely accessible and engaging as she guides the reader through the myriad of lessons we can learn from plants. I loved the intention of this book--to raise plant awareness--and think this would be a fabulous book for the average joe who loves to learn and doesn't have a background in plant science. The lessons drawn were clear and made me smile. As someone who loves metaphors and plants, Dr. Montgomery's connections were excellent.

I did find the structure a little repetitive. Heavy on the facts in the beginning of the chapter, and then cut to the lesson. I would have liked to see the two be a little more integrated. If you are well versed in plants, the book will be nothing new but it is a tiny ray of sunshine for those of us who love plants. It's a book that shares the lessons that anyone who has studied plants may know, and lessons that should be shared with a broader audience. I will certainly be giving this book a home on my shelf.

Lessons from Plants is an engaging and philosophical look at the way plants react, adapt, and survive in their ecological niche and how those mechanisms can potentially inform our human interactions. Due out 6th April 2021 from Harvard University Press, it's 240 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

This is a well annotated and academically rigorous (but layman accessible) multi-discipline look at human behaviors with comparisons drawn from the world of botany. The chapters are written thematically: adaptability, competition and cooperation (and distinguishing between them), risk, growth and transformation, diversity, and success. This is not -just- botany as an analogy for feel-good pop psychology. This is exactly as advertised, a multi-disciplinary exploration of some complex and fascinating botanical and ecological mechanisms which are well explained, science based, layman accessible and also applicable to our lives and experiences. The author, Dr. Beronda L. Montgomery, has a calm and capable voice and does a good job of rendering concepts in understandable straightforward language. She (happily) never devolves into overwrought academic constructions to obfuscate or attempt to make herself seem more intelligent. I can easily imagine she would be a capable and worthwhile lecturer (in whatever discipline).

The book is enhanced throughout by the addition of simple line drawn graphics to illustrate salient points. The chapter annotations will provide keen readers with many hours of further reading.

This is admittedly a niche read, but it would undoubtedly make a good selection for library acquisition or book club use. I would also recommend it for the philosophy minded gardener or students of the human condition.

Four and a half stars. Rounded up for the comprehensive annotations and clear and concise writing.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.